Brake mechanism



Oct- .13, 1953 F. H. s. RsslRE 2,655,231

BRAKE MECHAISM Original Filed March 17, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 13,1953 F, H. s. RosslRE 2,655,231

BRAKE MECHANISM Original Filed March 1'7, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR.

E' HENRY 5. m55/ HE A TI'ORNE Y Patented Oct. 13, 1953 BRAKE. MEcnANlsMFrancis Henry yS'. Rossire, Leonia, N. J., assignor to Bendix AviationCorporation, Teterboro, N. J., a corporation of DelawareV OriginalAapplication March 17, 1948,` Serial No. 15,325.V Divided and thisapplication February 8, 1949, Serial No. 75,189

(Cl. 18S-83) 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to. brake mechanisms and more particularly to abrake mechanism for an oscillatory member.

This is a divisional application of my copending application for FlightController for Automatic Pilots, bearing Serial No. 15,325 and flled onMarch 17, 1948, now Patent Number 2,613,305,

issued November 4, 1952..

An object of the present. invention is to provide a. brake mechanism foran oscillatory member which will permit the movement of said member uponan application of torque to said member, and which will hold said memberin the position to which it has been moved.

Another object of this invention is to provide a brake mechanism of the,general character indicated in. which the degree of movement of saidmember is limited by a stopv means inherent in the construction ofsaidmechanism.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a brake. mechanism of.the character indicated which shall consist of few and. simple parts,relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which shall be. positive inaction, have a large variety of application, and yet be practical andyeicient. to a high degree in use.

Other objects of the. invention will in part be obvious and in part.`hereinafter pointed out.y

In the accompanying drawings forming. apart of this specification inwhich. one of the various.A possible. illustrative embodimentsof thisinvention is shown, and wherein similar refer-Y ence charactersdesignate.- corresponding` parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 isV a. cross-sectional. view in elevation of a. stick controllerfor an automatic4 pilot.. incorporating the novel braliemechanisml Fig..2". is a plan view of,l the. stick controller and brake mechanism,y

Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken,-

along theline 3-3 of Fig. 2while Fig.` 4 is an end View of. thebrakemech-anism., Referring now in. detail to thedrawings,` the numeral.I6 designates a stick controller embody.` ing.v my invention. The.controller I-.Ilis provided.

with a base. member I-|. havingY two upstanding-` A block I3 held insaid` is journaledl through the bearing surface I5 of wall I3. Thevblock I 9V is provided with a pivot 22 which is journaled in the bearingI4 ofthe wall I2; the sleeve 2'I and pivot 22 forming the axis ofoscillation of the member I6. The axis 2|, 22 as will hereinafter beapparent, coincides with the bank axis of an aircraft carrying the stickcontroller.

The parallel arms Il and Il!V of the frame I6 are provided with alignedopenings 25, rotatably supporting therein an axle or shaft 26 (Fig. 1).Fixed to said shaft 26, as by a screw 21, is an arm 28. The lower end ofsaid arm is bifurcated, apin 29 being fixed across the opening therebyprovided for the purposes hereinafter appearing.. Fixed to the undersideof the arm IT by a screw 49, is a bracket 50- for purposesr hereinafterd`e scribed.

The upper end of 'said arm is provided with a circular bore 30 having alarger diameter at the upper end than the lower end 3l. The side of saidarm is milled away to provide an opening 32 registering with the lowerbore 3|. Slidably received within the-bores 3l)V and 3l of the arm 28,is a control handlerod 35? havin-g a larger diameter at its lower end 36than at its upper end 31; thelower end 36 being slidably received withinthe bore 3l'. The top of said rod is provided with a handleVv or handknob 40. Fixed to the upper end' 3T of thev rod but within the bore 30vis a spring retainer 4l held in place by a key 42. A second springretainer 43 isprovided on the shoulder 44 formed by the dissimilar boresof arm 28. A coil spring 45 encompassing the rod 35 and xedbetween theretainers 4IA and 43 tends, to

lioldithe'rod' 35m the up position shown in Fig. l.

The sleeve-extension 21| ofthe frame I 6 is pro-y vided with two bearingsurfaces 5I and' 52 (Fig. 3) within the bore therein. Slidably receivedin said bearings is a rod 54 extendingbeyond the wall'V I3 and theassembly to be described'. Swedged' to the inward end of the rod isa`U-shaped bracket 55, the upturned end 56 abuttingth'e. pin 29v of. arm2'8; Riveted tof said bracet isa spring' finger 51, the upturned edge ofwhich clamps the pin 29' between said finger and the'end 56".

It will; be apparent from the description thus' far made, that thecontrol arm 33 has been' providedA with a universal mounting permittingoscillation about two axes at right. angles to each other.. The twooscillatory axesV are formed by the-shaft 26 and by thepivot 22andsleeveexten- SOII 21. Byreference to myY aforesaid patent application,oscillation of the control arm about' 3 the shaft 26, will through pin29, bracket 55 and rod 54 cause rotation of the pitch signal transmittertherein described. Oscillation of the control arm about the axis 2|, 22will in turn cause rotation of the bank signal transmitter throughbracket 50 xed to the frame |61.

Means are now provided to brake the movement of the control arm and tohold the same in the position to which it has been moved about both ofthe oscillatory axes herein provided.

To this end there is provided about the sleeve extension 2|, a brakeassembly 60 (Figs. 2 and 3). The brake assembly 60 comprises a plate 6|against the wall i3, plates 62 having upstanding tabs 63, and plates 64having depending tabs 65. Interposed between the plates 6|, 62 and 64are circular felt washers 56. The plates 6| and 62 of the brake assemblyare held together by four bolts 61 passing therethrough into wall |3.The pressure between the various surfaces is provided by the coilsprings 68. The pressure may readily be regulated by the turning of thenuts 69 on the threaded ends of the bolts.

clamped to the extending end of sleeve extension 2|, as by screw 1|, isan arm 12 (Figs. 3 and 4) Swedged in the lower end of arm 12 is a pin 13passing through the dependent tabs 65 of the plates 6. Made integralwith the arm 12 is a bracket i5 carrying a dependent pin 16 for openingand closing an electrical circuit described in my aforesaid copendingapplication.

Rotation of the sleeve extension 2| upon movement of the control arm 26will rotate the arm 12 to carry the plates 61 therewith. Since thepressure exerted by the springs 66 will provide a resistance to theturning of the plates 6d, movement of the control arm will be somewhatresisted, at the same time the friction holding the control arm 26 inthe position to which it is moved.

A similar brake assembly 80 is provided for the shaft 26 to resist themovement of, and hold the control arm in the position to which it ismoved. Similar components of this assembly have been given likereference characters in Figs. l and 2 oi the drawings.

it will be noted in Figs. 3 and 4 that the bottom chord-like edges 82 ofplates 6| and 62 are straight and at right angles to the control armwhen it is in its neutral position as shown in Fig. l. The edges 82 ofthe plates will thus form a stop member for the pin 13, thereby limitingthe maximum movement of the control arm 28 about the axes 26 and 2|, 22.

Means are now provided to lock the control arm in its neutral positionand to unlock the same upon depressing the control handle to permitmovement thereof.

To this end there is fixed to the frame |6 a detent bloei; 85 injuxtaposition with the brake plate 6|. The detent block 85 is providedwith an opening 86 registering with a larger opening 81. Slidablyreceived within the openings thus provided is a detent 86 adapted toregister in an opening 8S provided in the plate 6| under the induence ofa spring 90 within the block in opening 61. When the control arm 28 isin the neutral or vertical position as indicated in Fig. l, the detent*E8 will register in the opening 89 to prevent movement of the arm aboutthe bank axis 2|, 22.

In order to release the control arm 26 to permit movement thereof aboutthe bank axis, a pivoted bracket 92 is provided to slide the detent 88against the bias of spring 90. The bracket 92 comprises two arms 93 and94 pivoted as by screws 95, to the frame |6 (Figs. 2 and 3). The twoarms 93 and 94 are joined by a cross member 95 provided in the centerportion thereof with a slot 91. Integral with the pivoted bracket is anarcuate arm 98 extending adjacent to the control arm 28. A spring 99fixed to the frame |6 as by screw |00, urges the arcuate arm upwardly sothat the upper surface thereof abuts a pin |0| fixed to said arm in themanner hereinafter described.

The detent 88 is provided with a rearwardly extending tab |02 extendingbeyond the detent block 85. The tab |02 registers in the slot 91provided in the cross member 96. A pin |03 iixed in said tab forms aconnection between the detent and the pivoted bracket 92.

Fixed to the lower end 36 of the control handle rod 35 in the opening 32of arm 28 as by screws |05, is a bracket |06 having integral therewith adepending beveled member |01 (Fig. l). The pin |0| previously describedis fixed to the member it? in a suitable manner.

The beveled member |01 cooperates with a second detent assembly ||6 forlocking the control arm 28 about the pitch axis 26. The assembly ||ilcomprises a detent block fixed on frame I6. A detent |2 urged forward bya spring i3 registers in an opening ||4 of the plate 6| of the brakeassembly 80. The rear portion H5 of the detent ||2 extends beyond theblock and is provided with a pin ||6 adapted to be engaged by thebeveled member |01.

In order to oscillate the control arm 28 about the pitch and bank axesprovided, the control handle or knob 0 must be depressed. The controlrod 35 will thus be moved against the bias of spring 5. The bracket |06will be moved downwardly to move the pin |0| and the beveled member |81.The pin |0| will rock the pivoted bracket 92 in a counterclockwisedirection (Fig. 3) to withdraw the detent 88 from the opening 69 inplate 6|. The beveled surface |01 will upon abutment with the pin ||6withdraw the detent ||2 from the opening ||4. nThe control arm is thusreleased for oscillation to control the night of an aircraft through theautomatic pilot.

Release of the control handle 40 after movement thereof from its neutralposition will permit return of the rod 35 under the influence of thespring 45. The detents will thus be permitted to ride over the backsurfaces of the plates 6| until such time when the control handle isagain in its neutral position. The detents will then fall into therespective openings to again lock the control arm against movement.

There is thus provided a brake mechanism for an oscillatory member inwhich the various objectsof this invention are achieved, and which isWell adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth,it will be understood that all matter set forth herein, or shown in theaccompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

l. In a brake assembly for restraining relative movement of a pair ofmembers rotatable relative to one another, a plurality of substantiallycircular plates, at least some of said plates having chord-like faces,means attaching said plates to one of said members, a plurality ofsubstantially circular plates interspersed between said first-mentionedplates, at least some of said lastmentioned plates having tabs extendingtherefrom, a pin extending through said tabs and secured to said othermember and arranged to engage the chord-like faces ci saidfirst-mentioned plates to limit relative movement of said members, andyielding means urging said plates together.

2. In a brake assembly for restraining relative movement of a pair ofmembers rotatable relative to one another, a plurality of substantiallycircular plates, at least some of said plates having chord-like faces,means attaching said plates to one of said members, a plurality ofsubstantially circular plates interspersed between said first-mentionedplates, at least some of said lastmentioned plates having tabs extendingtherefrom, a pin extending through said tabs and secured to said othermember and arranged to engage the chord-like faces of saidfirst-mentioned plates to limit relative movement of said members,friction discs loosely interspersed between said plates, and yieldingmeans urging said plates and friction discs together.

3. In a brake assembly for restraining relative movement of a pair ofmembers rotatable relative to one another, a plurality of substantiallycircular plates, at least some of said plates having chord-like faces, aplurality of elements extending through said plates and attaching saidplates to one of said members, a plurality of substantially circularplates of smaller diameter than said rst-mentioned plates andinterspersed therebetween, at least some of said last-mentioned plateshaving tabs extending therefrom adjacent said chord-like faces, a pinextending through said tabs and secured to said other member andarranged to engage said chord-like faces to limit relative movement ofsaid members, and yielding means mounted on said elements and urgingsaid plates together.

FRANCIS HENRY S. ROSSIRE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,057,127 Dodge Mar. 25, 1913 1,062,780 Kennedy May 27, 19131,099,509 Nelson June 9, 1914 1,645,975 Tape Oct. 18, 1927 1,702,826Gruenewald et al. Feb. 19, 1929 1,828,425 Matthews Oct. 20, 19312,105,867 Stewart Jan. 18, 1938 2,378,688 Codln June 19, 1945 2,475,159Spraragen July 5, 1949

